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1.2.12-Pilferingapples
Brick!Club Fantine Book 2, Ch.12: The Bishop at Work Post for 4/12/13! Still going to play Catch-up with yesterday’s post, but I want this one up in case I black out here… Because today we have a rousing debate about the merits of various forms of serving-dishes! Oh and also there’s something about Valjean and the Bishop and souls and all. I mean, yes, the Bishop is incredibly quick-thinking here, showing a clear understanding of the non-spiritual, one-for-one attitude currently obsessing Valjean. Club theories that the Bishop’s basically a bit of a criminal psychologist seem well founded by this chapter; he sure moves in on Valjean’s moment of indecision FAST. I’d forgotten that in the book it’s Myriel who actually invents the whole “silver was a gift” cover story. And there’s probably some commentary to be had on the whole concept of indulgences, and the Catholic attitude towards working or buying away sin, and how that was treated in the 19th century, but I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THOSE THINGS, so I am just going to wonder about something that has bothered me for a while here: WHY SILVER PLACE SETTINGS?!? I mean, if you have silver in your home, try this: lick it. It tastes NASTY. And it tarnishes like whoa. All the other dish options offered are pretty weird, too! Wood and tin? Why are there no ceramic plates? Ceramic is the best! I am very confused by this development. Next chapter:AAAH IT’S MY FAVORITE VALJEAN CRIME because y’all he actually commits a lot of crimes in this story and THIS IS THE WORST so I can hardly wait! Commentary Columbina WOW I LOVE EVERY SENTENCE OF THIS. That’s such a good point about Valjean’s attitude, I hadn’t even thought of that and now my mind is blown. I think I missed the theories on the Bishop as a criminal psychologist, probably because this week has been a bit crazy, can you remember who made them? Does he invent the cover story, though? He comes in with his “Oh, and this is what he told you, right?” And the brigadier neither confirms or denies - so what did Valjean tell them? Did he mention ‘the priest’, or did one of the gendarmes recognise the silver? I am just going to wonder about something that has bothered me for a while here: WHY SILVER PLACE SETTINGS?!? I mean, if you have silver in your home, try this: lick it. It tastes NASTY. And it tarnishes like whoa. All the other dish options offered are pretty weird, too! Wood and tin? Why are there no ceramic plates? Ceramic is the best! I am very confused by this development. Next chapter:AAAH IT’S MY FAVORITE VALJEAN CRIME because y’all he actually commits a lot of crimes in this story and THIS IS THE WORST so I can hardly wait! OKAY GUYS WHO’S READY TO HAVE THEIR HEART BROKEN LET’S SEE SOME HANDS IN THE AIR! Gascon-en-exile Not sure about the lack of ceramic, as my knowledge of materials used in eating utensils is rather sparse. I stand by my interpretation of some chapters ago regarding the significance of silver as the metal of Valjean’s redemption - argent is both the word for silver and a general term for money, so it seems like, in French, of all substances it would be most immediately tied to liquid capital, possibly even moreso than gold. I love all the little characterizing details in this chapter, even if most of them are just reinforcing traits established earlier: Myriel concerned more with the flowers crushed by the basket than by the theft, his comment to Magloire about material ownership (both very like St. Francis of Assisi, as if the quasi-transcendentalism didn’t already reinforce that enough), the confirmation that Valjean spent the whole night thinking Myriel was a curé rather than a bishop, and Valjean’s (justifiable) confusion at having his soul so aggressively ”bought” without his permission. Comparing Myriel’s work here to an indulgence is a bit sticky, especially since it’s expressed in such obviously economic terms when buying indulgences has been forbidden since the Council of Trent in the 16th century (primarily because of abuses of the system were one of the biggest rallying points for Protestants). In addition, an indulgence is not strictly speaking a remission of sin, because the sacrament of Confession/Penance/Reconciliation already covers that. Rather, it is a partial or total remission of temporal punishment for sins already forgiven, a fancy way of saying that the attachment to whatever earthly thing caused the sin (having to break that attachment would be the temporal punishment) is excused. Most indulgences are granted for contemplative rather than active behaviors - abstaining from sin or pleasure, reading Scripture, saying the Rosary, taking part in rituals such as the Adoration of the Eucharist or the Stations of the Cross, etc. Indulgences haven’t really been a huge deal in the Church for a while now, though. Now that I think about it, however, one could do a typically Hugolian metaphorical reading of this scene. Myriel has already unofficially heard Valjean’s confession the previous night (for what he did to get in prison, anyway), and his gift of the silver is meant to be a means for Valjean to separate him from the earthly ills - namely poverty - that encouraged both his acts of thievery thus far. I got to brush up on my indulgence doctrine, whee! I’ve gotten the sense from Protestants that non-Catholics seem to be under the impression that the rules for indulgences are still the same as they were pre-Reformation - example of the general truism of history that a system doesn’t really warrant talking about unless it’s being abused? Pilferingapples (reply to Gascon-en-exile) I have NO idea what the rules for Catholic sin-forgiveness are in the modern era, really. If I had to lay it out it would be like one of those What I Learned From Tumblr posts: *There’s some sort of confession? I think it has to be to a clergy? *If there was a sin there has to be some sort of penance? *Like a prayer or dietary change idk *That is my entire understanding of the system *But I can tell you the title to any TOS Trek episode based on plot! But the whole Do X or Buy X For Extra Salvation Points thing is something I know about somewhat through its mentions in history. So please keep bringing the Catholic Cutural Background context, it’s very appreciated! Also still love the note about silver/money. And of course it’s also proof against certain evil spirits, depending on what tradition you’re dealing! Now sleeping at the crossroads will have no negative effect on Valjean at all! …Apparently this is what happens when I’m tired and resisting writing about the most painful chapter thus far. Sarah1281 I do wonder about why the bishop came up with that lie and if Valjean had said anything of the sort. The bishop comes up to them before they can say anything and asks Vajlean why he did not take the candlesticks with all the rest since he gave those also and are worth so much. The gendarme asks in surprise if what Valjean said was true then and, even without confirmation that Valjean said that, it seems like that’s the logical conclusion to draw. Valjean either admitted that he got the silver from the priest he stayed with or there was something about that silver that led to the gendarme recognizing who it belonged to and confronting Valjean about it. Either way, Valjean must have claimed that he was given the silver because to admit to stealing them would be really, really stupid and denying it gives him a better chance than simply staying quiet. So the bishop realizes what must have happened and so confirms the story he figures Valjean probably told.